TOI-2525 b and c: A Pair of Massive Warm Giant Planets with Strong Transit Timing Variations Revealed by TESS

The K-type star TOI-2525 has an estimated mass of M = 0.849(-0.033)(+0.024) M-circle dot and radius of R = 0.785(-0.007)(+0.007) R-circle dot observed by the TESS mission in 22 sectors (within sectors 1 and 39). The TESS light curves yield significant transit events of two companions, which show strong transit timing variations (TTVs) with a semiamplitude of similar to 6 hr. We performed TTV dynamical and photodynamical light-curve analysis of the TESS data combined with radial velocity measurements from FEROS and PFS, and we confirmed the planetary nature of these companions. The TOI-2525 system consists of a transiting pair of planets comparable to Neptune and Jupiter with estimated dynamical masses of m(b) = 0.088(-0.004)(+0.005) and m(c) = 0.709(-0.033)(+0.034) M-Jup, radii of r(b) = 0.88(-0.02)(+0.02) and r(c) = 0.98(-0.02)(+0.02) R-Jup, and orbital periods of P-b = 23.288(-0.002)(+0.001) and P-c = 49.260(-0.001)(+0.001) days for the inner and outer planet, respectively. The period ratio is close to the 2:1 period commensurability, but the dynamical simulations of the system suggest that it is outside the mean-motion resonance (MMR) dynamical configuration. Object TOI-2525 b is among the lowest-density Neptune-mass planets known to date, with an estimated median density of rho(b) = 0.174(-0.015)(+0.016) g cm(-3). The TOI-2525 system is very similar to the other K dwarf systems discovered by TESS, TOI-2202 and TOI-216, which are composed of almost identical K dwarf primaries and two warm giant planets near the 2:1 MMR.

Automated summary

The K-type star TOI-2525 has two companions, similar to Neptune and Jupiter, with measured masses, radii, and orbital periods. This discovery is important for understanding planet formation and evolution.